Death is just the beginning
by KreeGaia
Summary: Naomi, born and raised on pandora was the youngest avatar pilot ever thanks to her granfather, Colonel miles quarich. that is , until she died... sort of.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: I do not own anything but Naomi in this. And even that's iffy. Read Enjoy and Review! Thank you!**

"What do you mean '_I'm dead_?" she screamed through the glass. Her large hand beat on the glass in the examination room while tears streaked her face. tried, in vain, to calm her.

"Your body is dead. Something went wrong during the process of the neural interface linkup with your human body and, I'm assuming out of self preservation, your consciousness _completely_ transferred," Said the man in the lab coat looking at brain signals and vitals on a little board. He looked truly concerned, but still had an air of fascination as he scanned his little electronic chart. He whispered, "this has never happened before…"

"Have you at least tried resuscitation?"

"Of course we have, Naomi." He said, placing his hand on the glass opposite hers. She noted how his hand used to engulf hers, now she is…well, huge. Oh, and blue, don't forget blue.

"great… fucking great," she mumbled, sitting down. She had to watch out for her new tail, so as not to sit on it. She grabbed her braid and started to play with it out of nervousness, trying to think on what to do now. It was something she was used to doing in her human body but she had never _felt_ her hair before. As in her hair had feeling. She lifted the end and small pink tendrils wriggled out. "That looks so cool and so wrong at the same time." Naomi smoothed the hair back over the queue. After a few deep breaths she looks out of the small window in the door to the outside. "you know, my physical examination is done, Max, can I go take a walk or something?"

"Sure, let me get someone to get you some clothes."

"Thanks."

The doctor turned and was walking and nearly crashed into Grace. "Watch where you're going, Patel! I- wait, what's wrong?" she asked putting a hand on his shoulder. His eyes darted to the floor.

"Follow me." He said, briskly walking through the lab. he got to Naomi's link bed and opened it for her. Grace leaned down to examine just what was so wrong. She then saw no eye movement… or breathing for that matter.

"Good **lord**." She gasped. Her hand flashed Naomi's cold neck to check for a pulse. "Nothing. Where is her avatar? What the _hell_ happened?"

On a slower walk back to the windowed examination room max explained all of it. Grace put her hand on the cold pane and looked in on Naomi's curled up form on the gurney. For a moment she feared Naomi really wasn't there until her tail twitched as she stirred. "This _had_ to happen to the world's youngest avatar pilot. She's only 18 for god's sake!"

She rose off the gurney onto her elbows, "do you have my clothes yet ?"

Grace snatched the mic strait off of the man's head and said, "I'll be right there with them, be right back." She shoved the headset into max's chest and spat, "I'm going in."

A few minutes later Naomi heard the hiss of the airlock and felt the warm air of the outside. Grace walked in with a bundle of clothes. "Hey. Come with me, let's get you changed, hm?"

"Alright," she replied with a warm smile. She was still a little wobbly on her new feet so grace braced her on the way. the air outside was warm and sweet, and smelled of some odd flower. They passed an obstacle course where other avatars trained and played. She decided that she could walk by herself then, and she really could. Grace noted on her progress. "thank you for helping me, ."

"well, you're going to need it living this way so I'm glad to," she said a little sooner than Naomi would have liked.

She got to the cabin and got changed into the green tank top and blue jean shorts. They even had a hole cut in the back to accompany her new tail, which she thought was pretty cool. Then she decided to go for a walk in the garden, grace accompanied her. They past the flowering plants and ferns which made the air sweet and at the end of the rows, standing as tall as her chest was a baby tree of souls, which was big, around 7 ½ feet. She reached out to touch one of the many tendrils. Then a man, awkward in stature popped his head from behind the sapling. Defensively he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She replied, dropping the pink strand. "I didn't know it was yours."

"Well you can't exactly own Eywa, but it is my research project. Can you pick that up again? The readings jumped when you did." He said, nose down into his scanner. "by the way, my name is norm Spellman. You?"

She sat on the ground playing with the tree and, knowing the reaction she was going to get said, "Naomi Quaritch."

The chart landed on the ground with a thunk, "you mean the granddaughter of Miles Quaritch, The youngest avatar pilot ever?"

"Hehe, yeah."

"Oh! I- uh- well…" he stammered, picking up his chart with shaking hands. He continued babbling incoherently.

"Norm…Norm. Noooorm?" She said, getting slightly annoyed with his stuttering. "Mawey!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

"It's alright; you want to help me with your research? I have an idea."

"Really? Well yes! Go ahead."

"Has anyone preyed yet?"

"Through this, no. Not yet. Do you want to?"

"Sure."

"Here," he said, giving Grace one of the monitors to watch me. I sat down cross-legged and, queue in hand, made tsaheylu.

'Hello…Eywa. I guess you know what happened to me, being god and all. That and you're connected to my brain. Anyway, I think I'll need help here. Some friends would be nice, and protection in this dangerous world. Not that there is _anything_ wrong with it! Thank you for listening Eywa.'

She meditated in the peace she felt being connected to the tree. It was nice. She felt the planet beneath her in an all new way. Then she felt a tickle on the back of her hand. She peaked out of one eye, partially expecting some bug, most likely poisonous, on her right hand ready to kill the mood.

"Atokirina," gasped Grace.

"Dude I am so jealous right now," said norm, transfixed on the quarter sized creature. As if the sprite heard him it floated up and landed on the corner of his monitor and then to his shoulder. After enjoying the spirit he tried to scan it, without much success in the awkward position, he nearly fell on grace, leaning as far as he did.

She heard very heavy, very familiar boot steps approaching. Naomi, out of repetition and slight panic broke her link with the tree, spun around and onto her feet, and stood at attention.

"That's a good little soldier." He condescendingly said, then realizing her new 8 ½ foot stature followed with, "well I guess I can't call you that in this body can i? At ease, soldier." Her body relaxed… slightly. A sick smirk spread across his face, "how's your father, Naomi?"

"Still _dead_, sir." She replied, not letting the emotion get to her too much, at least not physically. That would give him too much satisfaction. She heard norms shock and had an idea, "sir!"

"Yes, soldier?"

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

He raised an eyebrow, "granted…"

She spun 180 on her heels to face a slack-jawed Norm. She turned quite fast so her tail not only hit her grandfathers shoulder, it knocked him off balance so the macho marine had to try to keep balance. Looking at Norm, jaw practically touching his chest, she said, "Sir, you look like a dead fish." Not that it mattered to her, though grace was now clutching her gut laughing. Naomi turned once more, "oh I'm _sorry_, did I _hit_ you? I'm not really in control of this body yet."

"I see," he said, getting as close to her face as possible with the height difference, "I heard about what happened to you."

'Crap,' she thought

"It's too bad. I'm sorry you had to become one of those _savages._"

She froze. That's what he used to call her Cherokee mother to Naomi's face during training. Her mother that was of shaman lineage that taught Naomi everything she knew to try and keep the old traditions alive, before she died out in the field. She was the kindest woman in the world, hardly befitting the title of savage.

"Sir!"

"Yes?" he replied with a sneer, knowing he had gotten to her.

"Permission to leave hells gate?"

"Your reason?"

"it calms me sir. The forest here calms me."

He paused for a moment, "fine, just get back here before sundown. This place will eat you alive."

"Yes sir."

She turned 90 degrees and marched strait to the gate. The Colonel followed her and let her out, "I don't know what you see in this place but have a nice time in hell."

After walking until she was out of sight of her bastard of a grandfather, she ran.

She collapsed and wept once she got far enough away. Why did this have to happen? She looked down at her blue form. Her grandfather's words rung in her ears, "_I'm sorry you had to become one of those__** savages**__."_ She promptly punched the tree next to her, "I…am NOT… a goddamned… SAVAGE! And if I ever hear that maggot say those words he _will _regret it. And what grounds does he have to keep reminding me that my father is dead? I _know _he's dead! I watched him die, for fucks sake!" screamed. She heard something behind her.

Footsteps, footsteps and a little chatter. She turned expecting a search party, but got a hunting party of native Na'vi, five of them. The two older ones looked angry while the other three, the same age as Naomi, looked more curious. She heard a few words spoken by the elders and the others faces turned to hate as well. She caught the word 'vrrtep' or demon. Something the sky people were always called. In response to try to make nice with them she said "kaltxi, Oel ngati kameie. (Hello, I see you)." She felt the air move and heard as the arrow buzzed past her ear. Her legs gave out from fear and she fell back on the tree.

They all drew their bows, and aimed at her head. She couldn't move. That is, until she saw their faces contort into fear, then she was just confused. Until she saw the talon-like claws of the thanator wrap around the root next to her head. She looked up at the snarling teeth and nearly screamed. He leapt at the group and sent them scattering up the trees and into the woods. While the great beast was busy something came to her, almost to tell her it's alright. A wood sprite landed on her knee.

She remembered her prayer to Eywa just today. She asked for help, friends and protection. She scooped the little sprite and whispered to it "thank you Eywa." She had an inkling of what to do.

"Hey! Leave them alone!"She called to it. His head snapped from the tree where two of them fled. She stopped and thought, maybe not a good idea to do that. It walked with dumbfounding grace. it got close enough to her, still sitting on the ground, to count the teeth in its mouth it sniffed her and nuzzled her. Apparently it was trying to get her up. She put her hand on its mussel and said, "Tam tam." The beast then offered his queue to her.

"Tsaheylu?" she whispered and took her braid in her hand. She lifted the ends and the pink tendrils twisted together. A rush of sensation overwhelmed her. It felt as if she was that feeling stopped she got up, slightly bewildered now that she can feel two bodies. She patted his muzzle again. He seemed to like that.

she heard the footsteps again, the both the thanator and Naomi tenced,"Hunt. Seal the bond, you must hunt," Said a deep voice. an elder , now, wants to help her instead of kill her. He walked out of the woods. It was the same elder that took the first shot. He still didn't look pleased but he assisted her anyway. "Palulukan makto, take my knife and hunt."

"Uh, thank you." She said. She was still wary of this man but he actually did undo the hilt and give her his knife.

"I saw the Atokirina. This bond is the will of Eywa. Now go!" he said, helping the girl on.

"Thank you," she said. Thinking about hunting triggered the touchy thanator to bolt into the woods.

The elder looked to the youngest, but most promising of the learning hunters. He was the most skilled on his dire-horse and Elder knew it. "Follow the sky girl." He said(sternly in Na'vi), "do not let her out of your sight. The rest of you come with me, I must speak with Mo'at."

"Yes. And if she and the Palulukan should find me?"

"if they decide to fight, flee. You have no chance against palulukan. If she speaks, learn about her. See why she is here and why Eywa has spoken with her."

With that the elder left and the young hunter, named T'aronyu, to his mission.


	2. Chapter 2

The forest rung out with the pounding steps of the rushing Thanator. She hung on to the animals queues for dear life, but through the fear she was truly enjoying the experience of bounding and weaving through the great trees. They caught the scent of something. She was surprised when she could even smell through the cat's nose. It smelled of musty grass and fresh meat with a hint of sweetness. He was the dominate body at the moment during the hunting. Their heads moved in tandem, looking for a meal, and by the scent of it they found one.

She crouched low on the animals back, gripping the queues, and whispered into the animal's ear, "I think we found one." she smiled as they snuck, the prey was close. They then could hear it and everything about it; its steps, the crunching of its teeth on vegetation, its fast heartbeat. It was a hexapede. "Perfect."

In one swift motion they leapt, Naomi with her knife unsheathed, and the thanator with teeth bared. A roar that she, and the hunter T'aronyu that was not far behind, felt in their chests rang out as the beasts claws dug into the ribcage of the deer-like animal. With the last cry of the prey Naomi got off and laid a hand on the things forehead, "calm my brother." She looked to the thanator while sheathing her new knife and said, "Bite its neck; I don't know where the vitals are so I can't kill it." The beast did so. She tried to remember the chant the Na'vi used when hunting. She couldn't remember the Na'vi terms so she repeated it in English as light left the hexapede's eyes, "forgive me, my brother. May your spirit run with Eywa. Forgive me."

The thanator pulled his head back and brought the creature's jugular with it, something Naomi didn't need to see, but she did taste. It didn't have the copper coin taste human blood did but tasted like a sweet steak. Like someone put sugar on a prime rib. 'Not bad, really,' thought Naomi.

She let the thanator eat for a while, content in tasting through its mouth. It, however, was intent on sharing with his new partner and plopped a chunk of especially bloody meat on the ground in front of her. "Eh…thank you," she stated, stabbing it and bringing the meat to her mouth, and taking a bite. 'Still pretty good, though I'm used to something cooked' she thought.

"You hear that?" she said. The red-mouthed beast looked up. A small heartbeat coming was from above them, along with slow, deliberate breathing. They both looked up. It was a Na'vi, although they could not see him. He was on the branch above their little clearing. Vines wrapped around the tree he was on so she wondered if she could climb it. She walked toward the tree, just to get yanked back by her queue. He could have felt her apprehension to face a Na'vi, or thought that the climb was too hard for her, but for whatever his reasoning, he did not want her to go. "I'll be alright."

His response was just a snort/growl of disapproval. Naomi walked to him and held his large face, "I know Eywa sent you to protect me, but look." She closed her eyes, rested her forehead against his lowered face, and remembered the combat training that her grandfather put her through. "See, even if we fight, I'm going to be okay."

She turned to walk away but she was stopped again. "Tsanten, why won't you let me…go…" she felt the thanator's happiness and pride. "That's your name isn't it? Tsanten." As the name echoed in her mind she felt another rush, like something clicked into place. The bond had been sealed. She rushed to hug the thanator's muzzle. Her tears dripped down to wet his face. She muttered, "I see you." After a few moments her queue was released and she turned to start her ascension up the tree.

T'aronyu saw everything, and doubted his own senses. He watched as she ate with it and heard its name. This dreamwalker, this _demon_ has bonded with the palulukan. The bringer of fear! Why was Eywa so fond of this strange creature? She held its face as if it was a baby dire horse, and acted as if it was just as harmless. And how could she say 'I see you', when the sky demons do not see? It came to her! Even for a Na'vi, this is a magnificent feat. 'Why was she not eaten!' he roared in his mind.

He watched as she climbed the vines. He laughed to himself as the clumsy sky girl slipped and regained her foothold. The palulukan called out in concern. "I'm alright," she replied. She approached his branch and looked up; "I'm not here to fight!" he backed up, still wary despite her words. She pulled herself up completely and stood on the 5 foot wide branch. He took a defensive pose. "Hey I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to know why you-"

"Who are you?" he snapped, baring his teeth as he spoke.

"I am Naomi. You?" she said, backing up slightly as not to scare him further.

"Na-o-mi… I am T'aronyu, warrior of the Omaticaya. What are you doing here! "

"I was bonding with Tsanten," she replied motioning with her hand to the feasting thanator.

"What are you to your people? Why are you here?"

"I…I'm…" she started, but to be honest she didn't know. She was a warrior, according to the training of her grandfather, but not old enough to go on any missions. She didn't know enough to be a scientist. All she was positive of was what her mother taught her of the Cherokee traditions and life. Like about the healing herbs, Also what each color, feather, and direction meant and how to read the messages from the Great Spirit. Most of it was based off of the shamans. So she decided there, "I'm a shaman… of the Cherokee clan."

"Shaman…" he asked, puzzled. He took a step forward, in a rage, but from pure confusion, "You are Tsahik? But that is impossible! To be Tsahik you must possess a sight beyond sight and sky demons _cannot_ see!"

"How do you know I cannot see?" she asked, probably not a smart answer, but it just leaked out.

He stayed silent for a while, staring daggers at her. He huffed, "I must speak with _my _Tsahik. You _will_ meet me here tomorrow." He turned and vanished into the darkening forest.

After the hunter left she descended from the branch and mounted Tsanten once more. 'Go back to where you met me; I know where to go from there. I have to introduce you to some people." Night fell as they were riding home. The glowing plants looked like stars in space as they were flying past.

The guards by the gate saw an avatar walk out of the woods. She turned her head toward the towers they were in. "hey marines!"

The men looked down from their guard towers to see Quaritch's granddaughter. She looked roughed up so the four men quickly slid down the ladders, opened the gates, and ran to her aid. "Naomi! C'mon, we gotta get you to safety," one began, grasping for her.

"Nah, marine, I'm fine." she said, pulling away from him.

"your shirt is covered in blood!"

She looked down at herself and mumbled, "oh, I shouldn't have hugged him after hunting."

"hunting? You went hunting?" the statement just confused him.

"look, I just called you guys here so you could one, see what I have; and two, tell every guard here so they don't try and shoot him." She replied.

"That depends on-"

"That doesn't depend on SHIT marine! I don't think you want to argue with him."

The guard lunged forward to attack whatever she had hiding in the shadow of the forest, "_Him_? Did you bring one of those Na'vi-"

Blocking the guard and knocking him back with one arm she said, "no sir," leaning down to his eye level, continued, "I got something far worse, something the Na'vi are afraid of." The look of horror in the man's eye was priceless. She smirked.

She turned and trotted to the thanator that was behind the tree and led it out. "This, gentlemen, is Tsanten." She announced. Once they were about five yards from the group of gob smacked solders she made tsaheylu and, after it bowed its front end so she could reach, she used its queues to mount the beast. She had it walk to the marines and the group of four parted like the red sea. The man she was talking to before, who was shaking. "Don't be a pussy marine! He's with me. He's not gonna eat anybody! Now, get on your walky-talky and put the word out. I really don't feel like getting shot at again tonight."

He did just that. He grabbed his receiver and put out an announcement, "we have Naomi Quaritch here and she has tamed a wild thanator. She has reassured me that it will not be of harm to anyone, as she is in control of it. To all personnel that see this thanator in hells gate, do not open fire. I repeat DO NOT open fire."

The message was received in the main office and quickly repeated over the loudspeakers.

"thank you gentlemen, have a good night." She said, riding into the gate.


End file.
